Another LK fanfic
by Robert Treat
Summary: Sequel to Janettes Return. Has part of LC's monologue taking place after the raising of the stake.
1. At the loft

This follows my earlier story, "Janette's Return," and is based on observations that part of LaCroix's monologue in Last Knight seems to occur after the raising of the stake. Since it covers much of the conversation between Nick and LaCroix at the loft it may seem a little long-winded at times, but I do feel this is integral to the story. I don't own any of these characters; permission is granted to archive at fkfanfic 2. 

* * *

"Well, all that remains now is to turn out the lights and lock the door on the way out," LaCroix said coldly as he watched his son drain the good doctor in his loft. . "Unless of course you have decided to add her to our entourage. Oh, Nicholas, you have thought this through, haven't you?"

His hopes soon faded, as it became apparent Nick wanted to join her in death.  
"After nearly eight hundred years, Nicholas, be done with her! Time heals all!" LaCroix's voice was breaking at this point. "We MUST move on! You cannot deny what you are."

Nick knelt down over Natalie saying "I can't condemn her to this darkness," kissed her once, and got up.

"A wise decision," LaCroix agreed. "We even have time for a burial, if you'd like."

Nick got up and walked over to where a pointed wood staff was laying, picked it up and held it in his hands.  
"She had faith in me, in what's beyond, that we could have a life together," he said as he carried it back to his chair and sat down. "I have that faith, too."

"Don't be foolish, Nicholas. Life is a gift. As sweet as the freshest peach, as precious as a gilded jewel. I have never been able to understand the logic of willfully surrendering such a treasure. What is there to gain? How dark can your existence be when compared to an eternal void? Or do you have faith that there is something beyond? What do you see from where you stand? A bright light at the end of the tunnel? Is it a ray of hope, a glimmer of something better? Or will it burn you like the morning sun? Are the sounds you hear the trumpeting of St. Peter's angels or the screams of Memnoch's tortured souls? You cannot answer that, can you? Because you will never know the answer until after the deed is done. And is your faith really that strong? I understand the need to move on. It is something that happens to us all. And your time has truly come. I also understand that with the beauty of this life there comes pain and despair. No one is immune. But consider what you have in your hand before you give it up. Don't trade a treasure for an empty box.  
Love. It warps our senses. Can take us past hope, past cure, past help. I know about love, its suffering, its anguish, its pain. Heaven makes means to kill our joy with love. And yet we must have it at any cost. But are you so enamored that you would overlook your love of life? And you do love it. I have seen you smell the sea, gaze at the stars at night. Are you willing to sacrifice one mistress for another? Look into your heart and tell me that you're willing to make the choice."

You've never understood why I'd surrender what you gave me, Nick thought.

"And so, in your eyes, I'm the devil."  
Nick turned to his right, got up from his chair, and walked over to his master. His tears were clear. "No, not the devil, LaCroix."  
"What then?"  
"You are my closest friend." He handed LaCroix the stake and knelt down next to Natalie, taking her hand.

"Damn you, Nicholas!" LaCroix cursed as he hoisted the stake over his son's head and tossed it aside.  
"Haven't you tired of this incessant guilt? Hasn't it swayed your back and stooped your shoulders to the point of throwing it off? You insist on taking responsibility for the actions and emotions of those around you when they alone are truly responsible. It is so foolish. It is so unnecessary. It's so mortal. And it must stop. This--" he said as he looked over his shoulders to where he'd dropped the stake, "and all else that has happened tonight should make that clear to you."

LaCroix continued after regaining his composure. "For all the things that we are there is a price to be paid. Love may be tasted but never savored. In our darkest moments we may envy mortality but we must never aspire to it. Guilt is a poison. And staying past our time is death. But it need not be. If we truly care for a mortal, truly love one, then we must go. Isn't that something that you taught me? LaCroix continued as they both remembered Nick's sister Fleur. "Leaving is the purest form of love."

Nick turned to his left to face LaCroix. As he did, LaCroix sensed the threads of their connection beginning to unravel. He'd been around long enough to have a pretty good idea of how Janette's "one in a billion" happenstance had come about, and if he was right, the doctor must not die, at least not now. Just then, the phone rang.

"This is Nick Knight. I'm either in bed or cannot take your call right now. Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you."

It was Janette. "LaCroix, Urs has woken up…"

* * *


	2. Earlier that night

_Earlier that night..._

While Vachon was at the hospital Janette talked with LaCroix about all that had happened, and they both agreed it was time to move on.

"When I was involved with Robert I'd come to view Nicolas' quest to become mortal again as right. I was furious when he turned around and brought me back," she said. "But what would have happened to Vachon if he hadn't?"

"I've thought about that too. We do seem to have been fortunate there. Life is a gift, Janette. For too long I've viewed life as some sort of enemy we cannot defeat. Life isn't the enemy, Janette. It's a gift. As sweet as a ripe peach, as precious as a gilded jewel."

Later as LaCroix was getting things ready for moving, Vachon arrived his newest fledgling. Tracy's carouche friend Jody was with them, and Vachon was carrying the limp form of another vampire everyone else had thought dead--Urs.

"I saw her when I was bringing Trace across," Vachon explained. "Jody also heard about the shooting. I had to let her give Trace her first feeding while I took care of Urs. No thanks to Knight. His doctor friend talked him out of even trying to save Trace!"

Some friend, LaCroix thought.


	3. At the loft pt 2

"LaCroix, what's going on?" Nick demanded. It was Nick who had found Urs dead and given her body to Nat to take care of.

"It would seem that she wasn't quite dead, Nicholas. We found her at the hospital earlier tonight." LaCroix evaded the subject of who found her and what they were doing there in the first place. "In the meantime we just might be able to get her there in time," he said as he moved toward Natalie's prone form with vampiric speed. "Don't fly until you hear from me!" he ordered as he took off. The last thing he needed was for his son to become mortal in mid-air.

Nick sensed the urgency of LaCroix's warning. Janette was still on the line, so he decided to ask about Urs. Janette explained how they had discovered Vachon was still alive, how they'd heard about Tracy's shooting and how Vachon had found Urs at the hospital when he went there to bring Tracy across. "What about Trace?" Nick asked.

"She's one of us now."


	4. meanwhile

Nick was stunned by the news about Tracy. Meanwhile, at the Raven they had to restrain Urs because of the effects of Divia's poison. The Inca, who had let go of the bomb a few seconds before it went off almost a year ago, had flown in when their link informed him of Divia's attack on Vachon, and was feeding Urs to help her recover.

Vachon filled Janette in on his relationship with Urs. Janette had left the Raven just before the others had arrived, and now wondered if she shouldn't have stayed a little longer, because Urs was just the sort of stray Janette wanted to help. Tracy was talking to LaCroix about how Nick could have trusted her with his secret. LaCroix was forthcoming with her.

"Miss Vetter, I'm the one who wouldn't have trusted you. If you'd known about Nicholas he would never have been able to keep it from me because of our link. I didn't realize I could have trusted you until I talked with you at Screed's grave." That also explained why Vachon had lied to her about LaCroix,who had also "persuaded" Internal Affairs to exonerate his son of any wrongdoing in Tracy's shooting.

On the subject of Screed, LaCroix was curious about something. Vachon had brought Tracy across, but Jody had given her the first feeding, so she should be a carouche. Yet she seemed to prefer human blood (bottled), though she was able to tolerate "cow".

* * *


	5. Epilogue

It was done. Nick was mortal again. LaCroix's efforts to keep him "in the fold" were unsuccessful as Nick had became mortal when Natalie underwent a period of cardiac arrest at the hospital. After nearly eight hundred years of craving human blood and numerous attempts he had overcome that craving and his "sun allergy".

He wondered, though, about the price. Natalie had survived, but had partial vampire characteristics as a result of "the attack" as it was described. And Tracy was a full-fledged vampire now. He wondered how each would cope with their new condition.

Urs was still battling the effects of Divia's attack, and under LaCroix's "advice" Natalie was released early from the hospital and helped the others flush Divia's poison out of Urs. Urs recovered, and under Janette's expert counseling would gain a self-respect she'd never known before as either a mortal or a vampire. He smiled at the thought of that. Whatever else, Janette had done right by both Urs and Vachon. Nick was in no small part to thank for that, and thought about another of his own offspring.

It was later determined that Tracy's blood preferences were due to small amounts of Divia's blood as well, either from the bullets having passed through Nick first or from residual amounts in Vachon's blood when he brought her across. Since Nick had also been attacked by Divia, it was agreed to let him remain mortal so that he would not have any unexpected complications from Divia's poison.

Nick thought of Serena.


End file.
